Formaldehyde thermometer-holder.



L. MARTOCCl-PISCULLI.

E ORMALDEHYDE THERMOMETER HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED IUIIE 25. 1917.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

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LEON MARTOCCI-PSCULLI, 0F NEW' YORK, N. Y.

FORMALDEHYDE THERMOMETER-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented il? an. f5, lltlllf.

Application filed June 25, 1917. Serial No. 176,710.

To @ZZ whom z' may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON MaRToCci-Prs CULLI, a subject of the King ofltaly, and a resident of the city of New York, borough olf Manhattan, inthe county and State of New York, have invented a new and lmprovedFormaldehyde lhermometerdolder, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

ri`his invention relates to thermometer holders of that type in whichthe thermometer by being inserted in the holder is freed from germs, sothat there will be no danger of contagion when the thermometer is usedon one patient after another, provided that the thermometer is insertedin the holder after use on each patient.

The invention has for its general objects to improve the constructionand operation of devices of this character so as to be reliable andeilicient in use, comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture,and so designed that liquid formaldehyde may be used as the germicidalagent without, however, having the thermometer at any time coated withthe liquid formaldehyde.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision o'll a holderformed with a gas or vapor chamber into which vapor or gas can beadmitted to envelop the thermometer by opening one or more ports betweenthe chamber and an absorbent body outside the same which contains theliquid formaldehyde.

With such objects in view, and others which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth withparticularity in the 4'following description and claims appended hereto.

lin the accompanying drawings, which illust 1ate one embodiment of theinvention and wherein similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views,

Figure l is a side view with portions broken away to show the internalconstruc tion, and the valve ports being shown in register, so as toadmit formaldehyde gas to the thermometer;

F ig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the thermometer holder with thevalve ports in register;

Fig. 3 is a view somewhat like Fig. l, with the valve ports out ofregister and like Figs. 1 and 2 being drawn on an enlarged scale;

Fig. l is a transverse section on the line -lh Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line .f1- 5, Fig. s.

Referring to the drawing, fr designates the thermometer and B the holdertheretor. 'ihe holder B comprises a tubular casing l having a screw capor other closure 2 at one end and a plug or nipple 3 screwed into orotherwise fastened to the opposite end. This nipple has a reducedthreaded portion on which screws the protecting cap 5 for the projectingend of the thermometer A. On the plug 3 is a tube 6 concentric with thetubular body l and of somewhat smaller diameter, so that in the spacebetween the tubes may be a filling 7 of absorbent material, preferably atube which is fitted on the tubular member 6. Snugly litting in thistubular member G is an inner rotary tubular member 8 which is providedwith a plurality of valve ports l0 adapted to be moved into and out ofregistry with the valve ports 9 in the tubular member 6. This tubularmember 8 constitutes a chamber in which a thermometer A is placed, andwhen the ports are in registry, formaldehyde gas or vapor can pass fromthe outer chamber filled with the absorbent 7, such absorbent beingsaturated with formaldehyde which is poured into the holder when the cap2 is removed. By turn: ing the thermometer-holding chamber or tube 8 apartial turn, the ports 9 and l0 can be thrown out of registry, so thatthe gas will not. escape. in the present instance there are two sets ofports 9 and 10 arranged at diametrically opposite points. To insureregistry and nonregistry of the ports, a pin 11 is arranged on thetubular member 8, and the pin engages in a slot 12 in the extension i3of the plug 3. The slot l2 may open axially, as indicated at lll, so asto permit the inner tube 8 to be withdrawn.

When the thermometer is to be used, the cap 5 is turned as far as thepin ll and slot l2 will permit, whereby the ports 9 and 10 are thrownout of registry. A further turning of the cap 5 unscrews the same, sothat it can be detached and the thermometer taken out of the holder.After the thermometer is used it is inserted in the holder and the capis screwed on. The last partof the turning movement of the cap causesthe tube 8 to turn so as to bring the slots l0 thereof into registrywith the slots 9, Whereby the gas will act on the thermometer to killany germs thereon.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, the advantages of the 'construction and method of operationwill be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which theinvention appertains, and While I have described the principle ofoperation, together with the device which I non7 consider to be the bestembodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shownis merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired asfall Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

l. A germicidal thermometer comprising a body for containing a liquid, apair of snugly fitting tubes Within the body and each having portsspaced apart, the tubes being relatively movable to move the ports intoand out of register, and a body of absorbent material lilling the spacebetween the body and the tubes, whereby vapors of the germicide can passfrom the absorbent material to the inner tube through the ports whenregistering.

2. A thermometer holder comprising a tubular body, a fixed tubularmember in the body and having valve ports, an absorbent between thetubular member and Wall. of the Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor body for holding a liquid germicide, and an inner tubular membermovable in the firstmentioned tubular member and having valve portsadapted to move into and out of register with the first-mentioned valveports.

3. A thermometer holder comprising a tubular body, a fixed tubularmember in the body and having valve ports, an absorbent between thetubular member and Wall of the body for holding a liquid germicide, aninner tubular member movable in the firstmentioned tubular member andhaving valve ports adapted to move into and'out of register with thefirst-mentioned valve ports, and means for limiting therelative'movement of the tubular members.

4f. A thermometer holder comprising a body open at one end to receive agermieide, a closure for the said open end, a fixed tube in the bodyhaving valve ports, an absorbent material surrounding the said iixedtube for holding liquid germicide, a second tube having a snug slidingfit in the firstmentioned tube and provided with ports adapted to bemoved into and out of register with the first-mentioned ports, means onthe body having a bayonet slot, a pin on the inner tube engaging theslot for limiting the relative movement of the tubes and permitting theinner tube to be removed, and a cap applied to the inner tube to protectthe projecting end of the thermometer when placed `in the inner tube.

LEON MARTOCCI-PISCULLI.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

